Good things come in small packages. Size matters. You can't judge a book by its cover. Pick your literary cliché for Sony's diminutive Digital Reader Pocket Edition ($149.99 direct), they all fit. And the device itself will fit nicely in a purse, a jacket pocket, or even a back pocket (although that last one might be a little rough on the screen if you plan on sitting). Despite a somewhat-dated-looking menu system and the absence of wireless connectivity, the Pocket Edition is very readable digital companion.

Design
The first thing you notice about the Pocket Edition is just how small it is. The smallest e-book reader we've seen, the device measures 6.25 by 4.25 by 0.4 inches (HWD) and weighs just 7.8 ounces. Despite its size, it's the sleek and sturdy metal constructiona hallmark of Sony's productsthat gives it a rock-solid feel in your hand. Our test sample was silver, but the Pocket Edition is also available in Rose (pink), and Navy Blue.

The screen is just five inches diagonal, which, admittedly, may be a bit too small for some people. In my time testing e-book readers, I've found that it is easy enough to get accustomed to smaller displays; you just wind up turning pages more often. In fact, the massive almost-10-inch screen on the Amazon Kindle DX seems unwieldy by comparison. The Pocket edition is designed to be carried everywhere you go.

The 800 by 600-pixel screen itself is clear and sharp, unlike the washed-out display on Sony's own Touch Edition. Even so, it should be noted that it supports just 8 shades of grey, while the Kindle supports 16. This shouldn't make much of a difference when reading text, but you might notice it when you're viewing photos.

Unlike the minimalist Touch Edition, the Pocket Edition requires buttons for navigation. Not as many as the Kindle with its full QWERTY keyboard and directional toggles, but enough. Ten buttons line the side of the screen, letting you select menu options or skip around within books. Below the screen are four more controls: Home, Back, Text Size, and four-way directional buttons used for flipping pages. Operating the Pocket Edition with one hand, right or left is very simple.

One thing you won't find on the Pocket Edition: A memory-card slot. All you get is 512MB of internal memory. Sony claims that it's enough for about 350 books, and most people have no need to carry more than that. If you do, you should look to a Kindle or the larger, touch-screen-based Touch Edition.

Features
Many people are surprised to find that Sony's e-book readers support such a wide variety of file-types, including DRM-free formats. DRM-protected file types include: ePub (Adobe DRM protected), PDF (Adobe DRM protected), BBeB Book (PRS DRM protected). If you want DRM- free formats, you can chose among ePub, BBeB Book, PDF, TXT, RTF, and Microsoft Word. (The last one requires a PC with MS Word installed.)

Getting books on your Pocket Edition requires going to Sony's Web site, downloading the eBook Library Software (v 3.0.01), connecting the device via the included USB cable, and dragging and dropping your books. Suffice to say, the wireless discovery and delivery on the Kindle or, the Barnes & Noble Nook is much easier. Even so, it isn't a big deal to sideload books.

The bigger problem is the relative dearth of digital content in the Sony eBook library. In terms of books, Amazon and Sony are well-matched, but Amazon also lets you subscribe to blogs and magazines like Gearlog, AppScout, and the PC Magazine Digital Edition. Amazon does offer magazines, newspapers, and blogs in a proprietary format, but at least you can get them.

The e-ink displays on e-book readers help the devices achieve very low power requirements. The Pocket edition can run for weeks without needing a charge, but it lasts longer than, say, a Kindle, since it doesn't have to provide juice for a wireless modem. The company estimates you can get achieve about 7,500 continuous page turns on a single charge, and my tests indicate similar results. Just keep in mind that the Lithium ion battery isn't user-replaceable, and there's no power adapter in the box, you need to charge the device via USB.

At $150, the Pocket Edition is Sony's least-expensive digital reader, undercutting the Kindle and Sony's own Touch Edition. It doesn't feature bells and whistles like memory slots and wireless book downloads, but as a simple, straightforward book reader it's a pleasure to use. I would still recommend the Kindle for most avid readers, but the Pocket Edition offers a truly pocketable form factor that may just catch on.

Dan Costa is the Editor-in-Chief of PCMag.com and the Senior Vice President of Content for Ziff-Davis. He oversees the editorial operations for PCMag.com, Geek.com, ExtremeTech.com as well as PCMag's network of blogs, including AppScout and...

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